The earliest WELL ROUNDED fighters?

[Mr. Shickadance]

Took Bas quite a while to become well rounded.

not really, i think people saw a real change after he fought Frank, he seemed to progress pretty fast.

 

[andrew provost]

Ruas, Then Don Frye

 

[Fullmount Triangle]

Guy Mezger was solid on the ground, solid on the feet, struggled with wrestlers who could overpower him but his raw TDD was pretty solid

 

[Glove]

Marco Ruas
Don Frye
Frank Shamrock
Guy Mezger
Bas Rutten
Masakatsu Funaki

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

bas

< Approves of these posts

Bas for sure

Ruas bas

 

[Kumason]

not really, i think people saw a real change after he fought Frank, he seemed to progress pretty fast.

I agree he progressed pretty fast once he started working hard on his grappling,but that was still at least 10 or so fights into his career.He was certainly one of the earlier very well rounded guys.I just think the label could go to a few guys before Bas reached that level,but that's all a matter of opinion.

 

[Bartinho]

Honestly, it's probably one guy: Matt Hume

 

[Taric]

Honestly, it's probably one guy: Matt Hume

Or Erik Paulson

 

[Mr. Shickadance]

I agree he progressed pretty fast once he started working hard on his grappling,but that was still at least 10 or so fights into his career.He was certainly one of the earlier very well rounded guys.I just think the label could go to a few guys before Bas reached that level,but that's all a matter of opinion.

For sure even the "well rounded" guys from back then can't really hold a candle to how well rounded the best are now.
Mostly the striking- wrestling divide, I think enough of these well rounded fighters from back then could either wrestle well with basic striking or strike well with basic jiu jitsu.

 

[snowbro]

Amazing in all aspects of the fight game = Striking, wrestling, jiu jitzu

Jose Aldo for example. He has been well rounded in all every areas of the fight game for as long as i can remember.

Post old school fight card.

Aldo is new school, you wanna talk about rounded out fighters from the old days look at Vitor Belfort, Marco Ruas, stuff like that....

 

[Kumason]

For sure even the "well rounded" guys from back then can't really hold a candle to how well rounded the best are now.
Mostly the striking- wrestling divide, I think enough of these well rounded fighters from back then could either wrestle well with basic striking or strike well with basic jiu jitsu.

Totally agree,but I tend to look at it like compared to the rest of the sport at the time.Bas was about as well rounded as it gets for his time (once he put everything together),but that fighter in the sport today wouldn't get close to any "well rounded" list.

 

[VanMMA]

Babalu

 

[DaPunkMinowaMan]

Pele and Rafael Cordeiro are the actual answers. Proficient in MT, BJJ, and Judo before the UFC, Frank Shamrock, Vitor Belfort, anybody you've ever heard of, was even a thing.



I mean, you can watch this highlight vid and clearly see that there are fighters today that still don't pull off the stuff these guys were back in the 80s

Hmmm... Pelé´s submission game was not that good..

 

[TheIrishPsycho]

Marco Ruas

 

[Taric]

Hmmm... Pelé´s submission game was not that good..

For a Brazilian at the time? No. But he was a purple belt, so at least he was training it.
Most guys during his era were only training 1 martial art at the time. He was training 3.

 

[DaPunkMinowaMan]

For sure even the "well rounded" guys from back then can't really hold a candle to how well rounded the best are now.
Mostly the striking- wrestling divide, I think enough of these well rounded fighters from back then could either wrestle well with basic striking or strike well with basic jiu jitsu.

"can't really hold a candle to how well rounded the best are now"

Hmmm.. its a myth...

 

[Bartinho]

Marco Ruas was the first guy to even make the claim or pretense of being a complete NHB fighter, Matt Hume was probably the first guy to actually do it, and Frank Shamrock was the first guy to do it and win a UFC belt, although Saku and Fedor did it better, I don't think anyone with the possible exception of Jon Jones has ever eclipsed their total fight game.

 

[dc007]

marco ruas comes to mind.

What I came to say. There was a reason the Gracies kept him out of the early events.

 

[Guile]

Aldo only has 1 sub win. Not that he has bad bjj..

 

[DaPunkMinowaMan]

For a Brazilian at the time? No. But he was a purple belt, so at least he was training it.
Most guys during his era were only training 1 martial art at the time. He was training 3.

ok depends then.. if we´re talkin´about training or being good at.